Report: Saudi Aid to Lebanese Army Will Take Effect within a Month
The high demand on some of the military equipment pledged by Saudi Arabia to the Lebanese army will result in a short delay in delivering them to the military institution, reported the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Sunday.
A French source told the daily however that the Saudi grant will take effect “within a month.”
In December, the kingdom pledged to grant 3 billion dollars in aid to the army.
A delay in the delivery of helicopters that are included in the deal is expected due to their unavailability because of the high demand on them.
The source stressed however the need to implement the deal as soon as possible.
It emphasized that Saudi Arabia and France seek to bolster the army “because they view it as a state institution that represents the whole of Lebanon and not just one political camp against the other.”
A French delegation is expected to head to Lebanon within weeks in order to tackle the upcoming presidential elections.
It will also most likely address the grant to the Lebanese army.
On December 27, President Michel Suleiman announced that Saudi Arabia has decided to donate three billion dollars with the aim of purchasing French weapons for the Lebanese army as soon as possible.
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